Unnecessary work interruptions cost economy $650B annually

Yearly cost of unnecessary work interruptions to the U.S. economy, according to a study conducted by Basex: $650 billion

Source: Basex Inc.

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When asked how much money it takes to be rich, percentage of affluent households who said $5 million, according to the research by Millionaire Corner, a newly launched Web site powered by Spectrem Group: 45

Percentage who said $25 million: 25

Percentage who said $1 million is enough to be rich: 22

Source: Spectrem Group.

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Percentage of employed Americans who said they will look for a new job in 2008, according to a survey, commissioned by SnagAJob.com: 26

Percentage of hourly workers who said they plan on job hunting: 31

Percentage of Americans ages 18 to 34 who say they will be looking for a new job: 40

Ranks of empathy and trustworthiness among the best predictors of overall effective leadership, according to a study of 1,405 leaders in 47 organizations conducted by BlessingWhite: 1, 2

Ranks of business aptitude, responsibility and clarity among the attributes successful business leaders were most likely to have: 1, 2, 3

Source: BlessingWhite.

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Percentage of executives who said they turn first to spouses or significant others for advice when evaluating a potential job change, according to a poll developed by Accountemps: 46

Percentage who said they would consult their mentor first: 41

Source: Accountemps.

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Ranks of North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee on the list of top Southern destinations for migrating Americans, according to the findings of United Van Lines' 31st annual "migration" study: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Wyoming and Arizona on the list of top Western destinations for migrating Americans: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Rank of Michigan as the top outbound state: 1

Source: United Van Lines.

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Population of the U.S. on Jan. 1, 2008, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau: 303,146,284

Number of seconds between each new birth: 8

Number of seconds between each death: 11

Number of seconds between each new migrant: 30

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

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Ranks of "Wicked" (the Broadway musical and theatrical tour), Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: "Best of Both Worlds Tour," The Police, Kenny Chesney and the New England Patriots on the list of top "most requested events" in 2007, according to Ticketmaster: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of the New England Patriots, the Chicago Bears, WWE World Wrestling Entertainment and the New York Yankees on the list of the most requested sporting events: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Ticketmaster.

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Rank of the U.S. among 19 industrialized countries in terms of its effectiveness in the prevention of preventable deaths, according to a study conducted by the Commonwealth Fund: 19

Percentage decline in preventable deaths in all countries except the U.S. between 1997 and 2003: 16

Percentage decline in the U.S. in that same period: 4

Source: The Commonwealth Fund.

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Due to convenience and a clearer understanding of usage terms, expected percentage increase in sales of gift cards by 2012, according to a report from market-research publisher Packaged Facts: 5

Estimated amount of money this represents: $14 billion

Estimated percentage of consumers purchasing gift cards in the last 12 months who anticipate spending more on gift cards during the next 12 months: 35

Source: Market Research.

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Idle Thought

"A politician is a man who thinks of the next election; while the statesman thinks of the next generation."  James Freeman Clarke, preacher and author

John MacIntyre has been writing Figuratively Speaking since 1989. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected].